Imperium of Man Terra Aeterna Season 01: Rise of Humanity's War Machin

Captain James raised his voice sharply.

"We shut down Red Queen's main system first, then get the hell out of here. Move!"

"Kaplan, find the fastest route."

Kaplan immediately looked down at the screen on his wrist.

"Through Restaurant B. It's the shortest path."

"Let's go, move it!"

James led the group at the front, and Reuel—without thinking—grabbed Jill Valentine's hand. He had actually wanted to take Alice's hand, but Alice had already stepped forward to follow James. So, Jill became the next option.

Jill reflexively tried to pull away. But Reuel's grip was too firm. When she looked at his face, Jill just sighed and let it go.

It wasn't clear how far they had walked before finally stopping in front of a large iron gate. A mercenary stepped forward and input a code into the panel. The door creaked open, and they entered in tactical formation. Reuel and Jill followed from the rear.

The room they entered was dim, filled with large and small culture tanks, thick pipes snaking like metallic veins in all directions. The air was cold and damp.

Reuel recognized the place instantly.

The Licker culture tanks.

The most terrifying bio-weapon from Resident Evil 1.

Once Red Queen was shut down, the power would go out. The cooling system would stop.

And the Licker would be free.

"Kaplan." James called out without turning.

"Restaurant B, according to the map, this is it," Kaplan replied, checking the terminal on his wrist.

"Restaurant? This place looks more like hell," one of the mercenaries muttered.

"Maybe it's just a code name. Something only insiders would know," Matt said, still in cuffs.

James glanced at him for a second, then ignored him.

He knew Umbrella had plenty of code names and deceptive terms. Restaurant B? Most likely just camouflage for an underground lab like this.

Reuel stepped forward and said firmly,

"Licker. Bio-weapon. Way stronger than zombies."

All the mercenaries immediately turned to the row of tanks. Alice stepped forward too, pressing her face against the protective glass. The moment she saw the slimy creature inside—full of claws, muscle, and a protruding tongue—she backed away quickly, breathing heavily.

"You okay?" Reuel asked.

"I'm fine... it's just disgusting," Alice replied, her tone bitter.

One by one, the mercenaries moved closer. Their expressions shifted. Some turned pale, others cursed under their breath.

"What the fuck is that…"

"Why the hell is the company keeping something like this?"

"It's… not gonna get out, right?"

Suddenly, the atmosphere turned tense and silent, the only sounds being the soft hiss of pipes and the pounding of each person's heartbeat.

"Jack, Rain Ocampo—you stay here. Watch the prisoner and guard the exit," Captain James ordered firmly.

"Wait!" Reuel interrupted, his voice urgent. "Let him come. He's not a threat. There's no need for anyone to stay. We're better off sticking together."

Reuel knew what was coming. When Red Queen shut down, the power would go out—and with it, hell would be unleashed. He might not be a hero, but he wasn't about to leave someone behind if there was still a chance to save them.

"You know him?" James asked, eyes narrowing as he looked at Reuel. He knew Reuel was far too familiar with this place, but he still asked, "The zombies you mentioned... are they here?"

"He's just looking for his sister," Reuel replied. "There are no zombies yet. But we can't guarantee what happens next."

Matt—still cuffed—stepped forward, eyes wide.

"You know my sister? What happened to her?"

"I don't know," Reuel answered flatly. "But your sister is dead. Everyone in this place is dead."

"What...? No way... no...!" Matt screamed, shaking his cuffs. His voice was full of disbelief and raw grief.

"Rain, cuff him again. We continue the mission," James ordered without hesitation.

Restaurant B turned out to be much larger than they'd expected. Alice walked in the rear, eyes scanning the surroundings, as if trying to recognize the walls and corridors that felt both familiar and foreign.

"Alice," Reuel turned to her. "Are you starting to remember anything?"

Alice furrowed her brow. "No… just... this place feels so familiar. Like I've been here before."

"Keep paying attention. Maybe more will come back."

"What exactly is our relationship? Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

Reuel gave a faint smile. "Well... that's a little hard to explain."

"Try me. Maybe it'll help jog my memory."

"Okay. So... you were my ex-girlfriend. We broke up because of Jill Valentine." Reuel leaned closer and whispered dramatically into Alice's ear.

Alice looked at him skeptically and raised her hand to show the ring on her finger. "Then what's this?"

"Fake. You were formally married just for cover. To mask your identity. If you don't believe me, just ask James."

Captain James glanced at the two of them briefly. "The marriage was just part of the cover. To protect access clearance."

"So... you weren't lying?" Alice stared at Reuel.

"I know it's weird, but you'll remember it eventually."

Reuel smiled, then walked over to Rain Ocampo and whispered something softly in her ear.

After passing through another gate, they arrived in a large room—the main control hub, right in front of the laser corridor guarded by the Red Queen.

Without waiting for instructions, Kaplan immediately sat in front of the three-computer panel and got to work. His fingers danced across the keyboard, busy bypassing a complex security system.

Alice peered through the observation window. The room beyond was empty, but deadly.

Reuel knew the place. The laser corridor.

Death tunnel.

In the film version, that place had been the tragic end for Captain James and most of his team.

A few minutes passed. The corridor remained sealed.

"What are you waiting for?" one of the mercenaries asked, growing anxious.

"Red Queen has activated defense protocols. This isn't a regular system—it's way more complex," Kaplan replied quickly, eyes still glued to the screen.

Then came a clicking sound. The door slowly opened.

And...

Ding!

An electronic voice echoed in Reuel's head.

"Host system check-in detected. Please enter the Red Queen area for registration."

Reuel stood still for a moment.

It was time for check-in.

He didn't know what kind of prize awaited him this time… but he was ready.

"Prepare to enter!" James ordered. Two soldiers stepped forward, prepping their gear.

"Wait!" Reuel shouted, stopping them in their tracks.

Captain James turned.

"What is it?"

"Red Queen is an advanced intelligence system," Reuel said seriously, his tone suddenly sharp. "You think Kaplan can crack it in just a few minutes? This is a laser corridor. Once that door closes, we won't get a second chance."

"That's impossible," Kaplan shot back quickly. "I disabled it!"

Without answering, Reuel stepped forward toward the corridor's control system. He opened the emergency panel, pulled out two high-powered grenades, and raised them toward the camera—staring into the monitor where Red Queen usually watched.

"You hear me, Red Queen? Take a good look."

He was ready to toss the grenades into the corridor.

Suddenly, the drop door slammed shut with a metallic clang.

Silence fell. Everyone froze.

"Trap," one of the mercenaries muttered under his breath.

Kaplan turned pale. He couldn't say a word.

Reuel scoffed, then flipped off the camera.

"Don't just stand there. Work, Kaplan. Break that system—now!"

"Y-yes! I'm working on it!" Kaplan dropped into his seat in a panic, his fingers dancing frantically over the wrist computer. After nearly getting the whole team killed, he didn't dare argue.

Meanwhile, Reuel approached Jill Valentine, took her hand, and whispered softly, "Be careful. And watch that guy—Spence Parks. Something's off about him. I already told Rain. You two keep an eye on him."

Jill nodded. "Alright. But you be careful too."

Reuel opened one of the wall storage drawers, pulled out a Beretta 92FS complete with a spare magazine, and handed it to Jill.

"Take this."

Jill accepted the weapon and raised an eyebrow. "You're still using the Desert Eagle .50 AE, right? But I don't see it. Where are you hiding your weapon?"

Casually, Reuel tapped his head. "Don't make it complicated. I'll explain later."

Jill squinted at him, trying to spot where on his body he could possibly be hiding a firearm like that. No luck. She gave up and looked into his eyes. Reuel only returned her gaze with a faint smile.

Across the room, Alice watched their exchange from a distance. Her hands clenched, her expression dark.

"I'm his ex. Jill's his girlfriend now... I shouldn't care. But why does this feel so uncomfortable?" she thought to herself.

Suddenly, Kaplan's voice rang out:

"Red Queen's defense system has been deactivated!" he exclaimed, full of excitement. "The door's opening again!"

"You sure?" one of the mercenaries asked suspiciously. "You almost got us killed just now."

"This time it's real. See for yourself," Kaplan insisted, his tone earnest.

"If this is another trap..."

"It's not. I swear, the system's been tamed."

Reuel gave a small smile and patted the soldier's shoulder. "If you're scared, stay here. I'll go first."

He stepped into the narrow, long corridor. His heart beat faster than usual. Even though he knew the movie's storyline, this was real—there was no pause button here.

Thankfully, the corridor remained still. No laser lights, no strange movements.

The team followed behind. After what had just happened, no one doubted Reuel's leadership anymore. Their trust had shifted. He was now the decision-maker.

As they entered the central control room, the mercenaries began setting up the equipment to shut Red Queen down completely.

Then, a holographic projection appeared in the air—a red little girl, pale face, innocent expression. A childish voice echoed through the room:

"Get out. Get out of here. You are not authorized to be in this area."

Kaplan scoffed. "Ignore her. It's just a projection. Artificial intelligence. She's just trying to throw us off."

Reuel studied Red Queen with keen curiosity.

"If this is the Red Queen, what's the White Queen like?" he wondered. This world was beginning to feel more and more like a puzzle to him.

"I do not advise shutting me down," Red Queen's voice grew more serious. "Disabling me will cut off main power supply."

"She's just stalling," Kaplan muttered, not looking up, still focused on assembling the override system.

Red Queen's tone suddenly shifted—now sad, almost pleading.

"Please... don't do this."

Silence.

That's when Reuel stepped forward and said firmly:

"Everyone stop."

The entire room turned toward him. All eyes focused on one person: Reuel.

"Hold on," he said, his voice calm but heavy. "There's something I need to say."

"Red Queen, what happened here?" Reuel asked with a smile, gazing at the red-hued projection of a little girl standing in the center of the room.

"You're not bad. I can answer your question," Red Queen replied in the voice of a child hiding a secret.

She paused briefly before continuing,

"There's been a biochemical virus leak in this facility."

Her tone was half-playful, like a mischievous little girl.

"What virus leaked? How dangerous is it?" Reuel asked, more serious now.

"The T-Virus. Developed by Umbrella. Anyone who comes into contact with it... will become the undead."

Red Queen tilted her head, staring at Reuel intently.

"Who are you, really? I've scanned all global databases. There's no record of you."

"We'll talk about that later," Reuel replied casually.

"Undead?" Alice interjected, clearly baffled.

"Even after death, some basic biological functions continue. Hair and nails keep growing, certain cells still divide, and the brain holds a small electrical charge before fading.

The T-Virus triggers a massive surge of energy that sustains those functions... even reactivates motor systems—though without consciousness."

Red Queen's explanation was calm, as if she were describing a school science project.

Everyone stood in stunned silence.

Alice whispered,

"You mean... raising the dead?"

A mercenary added,

"Are you talking about resurrection?"

"Not resurrection," Red Queen replied. "Just basic mechanical movement. Maybe residual memory. They're not aware, not thinking. They're simply driven by the most primal urge."

Captain James frowned.

"What kind of urge?"

"Hunger. And to them, all living creatures... are food."

Shock rippled across the room. Pale faces emerged as the truth settled in.

They weren't survivors.

They were prey.

"How do we kill them?" Rain asked quickly.

"Most effective way: sever the upper spinal cord or destroy the brain completely," Red Queen answered flatly.

"You mean... shoot them in the head?" Rain turned to Reuel.

All eyes followed—realizing now that he had known from the start.

"Why did you kill everyone in this facility?" Matt stepped forward angrily, the image of his sister flashing in his mind.

Reuel turned.

"System, engage."

He realized he hadn't yet connected to the Red Queen.

> [Ding! Congratulations, user. You have obtained the Intelligent Program Editor.]

Function: Modify AI for absolute obedience to user. This setting is irreversible.

Reuel let out a low chuckle.

"Damn... incredible."

He looked at Red Queen with a sly grin.

"Little Red Queen, from now on... you're mine."

The rest of the team kept firing off questions, unaware of the sudden shift in control.

"The T-Virus spread through the air conditioning system. Initially in liquid form, then vapor. Now it spreads through blood.

It evolves rapidly, adapting to its environment, and is nearly impossible to erase.

I couldn't risk it escaping the Hive. So I acted accordingly."

"What do you mean 'acted accordingly'?" Matt demanded.

Red Queen's voice turned cold, like ice creeping into their bones.

"Anyone infected must not be allowed to leave. That includes you."

"We're not infected!" one of the mercenaries shouted.

"For now. But you've entered the red zone. The risk is too great. No one leaves this facility."

Silence. The tension in the air thickened.

Reuel stepped closer to Red Queen's projection, reaching out as if to touch her head.

But his hand met nothing—just empty air.

"Red Queen, how did the virus leak?" he asked.

Red Queen stared at him, then smiled mischievously.

"Trying to touch me? I'm just a holographic program. A little girl.

In human terms… are you a lolicon?"

"KUH-HOKH!! KKH-HUKH!!"

Reuel choked violently, face flushed, hand flying to his mouth.

His eyes darted around, panicked.

Whispers began. Then barely-contained laughter.

Jill Valentine patted him on the back and called out,

"So you are a lolicon, huh?"

Alice smirked,

"No wonder we broke up. That explains everything."

"Don't start!" Reuel snapped. "It's just a hologram—don't blow this out of proportion!"

He cleared his throat loudly and hurried to change the subject.

"Okay, back to the main issue. Red Queen, you haven't answered—what caused the leak?"